Skip to main content

Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

Advanced Search

Melanothamnus quadratus (Hollenb.) Huisman

Reference
Algae of Australia: Marine Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 2. Red Algae 547 (2018)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus to 4 mm tall, rusty brown, with a limited prostrate axis and sparse erect axes. Attachment rhizoids unicellular with digitate ends, occasionally saccate, pit-connected to the pericentral cells of prostrate axes. Prostrate axes to 170 µm diam. [segment L:B 0.3–0.5]. Erect branches 100–160 µm diam. [segment L:B 0.2–0.5], becoming shorter near apices. Axes with 4 pericentral cells, ecorticate. Trichoblasts/scar cells arising at irregular intervals, often in displaced pairs on subsequent segments, but then with 6–8 naked segments.

Reproduction. Spermatangia in cylindrical heads forming as 1 branch of a basal dichotomy of trichoblasts, 140–200 µm long, 50–70 µm diam., lacking a sterile apical cell. Other reproductive structures not observed.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality and a single collection from the northern Kimberley, north-western Australia.

Habitat. epiphytic.

[After J.M. Huisman in Algae of Australia: Marine Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 2. Red Algae: 547 (2018)]